January 30, 2008: Herding Cats

[xoxoxoBruce]

This is the greatest exercise in frustration and futility ever devised. Agility competition.... for cats.

Agility competitions are not about how agile the animal is, everyone knows cats are agile. Agility competitions are about the animal, usually a dog, racing against the clock through an obstacle course, as directed by the owner/trainer. You know, taking direction, following orders, obeying commands....cats????
From USA Today...

They work their way through a daunting course of tunnels, jumping and weaving through poles. All on cue. Sort of.
But whatever they decide to do, it's more than most normal-thinking people would expect.

For these animal athletes are cats, doing their owners' bidding — more or less — in competitions patterned after canine agility contests.